Dakota Johnson Says She Overdosed on Celsius Energy Drinks

Fifty Shades of Grey actor Dakota Johnson recently revealed to Variety that she "probably" overdosed on Celsius energy drinks because she wasn't aware they contained caffeine.

While making her new short film, "Loser Baby," Johnson said she discovered Celsius "on day one of filming." At first, her increased energy made her think she was simply in the creative zone. She said, "I didn't know that it was like Red Bull. I thought it was a natural drink."

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, 30-50% of teens in the United States claim to drink energy drinks. Although Celsius does not market its product to teens on its website, other energy drinks like PRIME are incredibly popular with younger folks, although they contain hazardous ingredients like "forever chemicals." The trendy new way to stay energized is rising in popularity.

Johnson told Variety that she thought she was staying up all night long because she was inspired by her new film and that she was just "thinking." The director and actor was chugging two Celsius drinks a day because she thought they were nutritious vitamin drinks. "I didn't realize I was basically overdosing on caffeine," she said.

Celsius isn't a terrible drink option, but it should be consumed in moderation — which Johnson clearly wasn't doing.

Each can contains zero calories, proteins, or sugars. Some flavors include green tea extract, vitamin C, and ginger root. But one thing is for sure: Celsius has a ton of caffeine.

In fact, one regular Celsius can contains 355ml of caffeine, and an on-the-go sachet has 200 mg of caffeine. For reference, a cup of coffee has 95 mg. Despite Johnson comparing Celsius to Red Bull, the latter actually has less caffeine per serving than Celsius.

In addition to caffeine, Celsius includes taurine, vegetable juice, and sucralose, which has been linked to DNA damage and cardiovascular risks. However, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has said that sucralose is safe to ingest.

Celsius's packaging also claims that the drink can "boost metabolism and help burn body fat." Celsius has even funded six studies that show that the drink improves metabolic activity. However, these are limited and small studies that do not show long-lasting results.

Regardless of metabolism, Johnson wasn't trying to lose weight. She was trying to hit her daily vitamin limit. Instead, she was confronted with the reality of what she was drinking. Eventually, the costume designer of "Loser Baby" told Johnson that Celsius was an energy drink, which Johnson said was "really upsetting."

Symptoms of caffeine overdose

So, how much is too much caffeine? And can you really overdose?

The recommended average amount of caffeine is up to 400 mg a day. Although it is rare, if you drink over this limit, you may indeed experience a caffeine overdose. Caffeine can stay in your blood for 1.5 to 9.5 hours, meaning that it could potentially stay in your system for an entire day.

A study from 2018 found that there were 92 deaths connected to a caffeine overdose. However, people tend to overdose after taking a caffeine pill or dietary caffeine supplement more than from drinking coffee or another caffeinated drink.

Side effects of drinking too much caffeine are insomnia, increased heart rate, and anxiety. Having a caffeine overdose may include irregular heartbeat, headache, fever, hallucinations, chest pain, convulsions, and vomiting.

While drinking caffeine in moderation is known to have many health benefits, having too much caffeine on a regular basis can lead to long-term health problems.

Luckily for Johnson, she was able to realize her caffeinated mistake and return back to the good old fashioned coffee maker.